Apparatus for positioning and securing a projectile holder on its pad

ABSTRACT

A projectile holder such as a missile container is positioned and secured on its pad, by guides receiving feet on the container and pivotal hooks securing the feet longitudinally on the pad. The guides serve to position the container longitudinally and laterally on the pad. One or more containers can be mounted on a launcher or ramp which may be stationary or adjustable for tracking a target.

Le Qheualier et al.

[ 51 Apr. 3, 1973 [54] APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND SECURING A PROJECTILE HOLDER 0N ITS PAD [76] Inventors: Pierre Le Cheualier, Residence Les Violettes" Lotissement des Violettes, 83 Hyers;.]acques Blangis, 26 rue de Villeneuve, 92 Garches, both of France [22] Filed: Apr. 21, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 136,067

[52] U.S. Cl. ..89/1.8,89/1.8l5, 89/l.819 [51] Int. Cl. ..F41f 3/04 [58] Field of Search ..89/l.8,l.815, 1.819;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,357,305 12/1967 Clutz etal. ..89/1.815

2,532,643 12/1950 Richards et a] ..89/1.815 2,427,603 9/1947 Higgins ..248/361 R X 1,696,194 l2/1928 Foreman ..269/237 X 3,270,994 9/1966 Machan ..248/316 B X Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT A projectile holder such as a missile container is positioned and secured on its pad, by guides receiving feet on the container and pivotal hooks securing the feet longitudinally on the pad. The guides serve to position the container longitudinally and laterally on the pad. One or more containers can be mounted on a launcher or ramp which may be stationary or adjustable for tracking a target.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPR 3 I973 SHEET 1 OF 4 PATENTEDAFR 3 I975 SHEET 3 [IF 4 FIG4 FIG.5

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND SECURING A PROJECTILE HOLDER ON ITS PAD BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to apparatus for positioning and securing a projectile holder on its pad, and particularly a holder in the form of a container.

Certain types of missiles must be capable of remaining on its launching pad, ready for firing over an indeterminate period which may amount to a year or more. To keep the missiles in operative condition they are placed inside sealed containers which are provided with internal guide rails for guidance of the missiles at the time oflaunching.

The container is carried on a launching pad constituted as a sheet metal carriage. The container must be maintained in an absolutely precise and reproducible position on the carriage, and its attachment must not admit any displacement or accidental shifting. Furthermore, the installation of the container on the carriage must be rapid and easy.

It follows from the foregoing that apparatus for attaching the container on its launching pad must satisfy the following requirements:

1. It must permit the container to be easily placed on its pad in an accurate and reproducible manner;

2. it must be readily accessible, easy to handle and perfectly efficient and reliable;

3. it must positively prevent any possibility of accidental displacement or the container under the action of the stresses .to which it is subject on launching or under the effect of vibration or impact from various sources;

4. it must permit several containers to be mounted abreast so as to form a multiple launcher and must not require any access between the containers;

5. it must provide a minimum lateral spacing to minimize the lateral width of the pad;

6. there must not be any substantial projections of the attaching means on the pad in order to avoid any damage to the container when it is being installed on the pad;

7. it must be protected against corrosion and electrolytic effects; especially when the installation is to be used on navel vessels.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for positioning and securing a container on its pad which satisfies the conditions set forth above.

The device according to the invention essentially comprises firstly a slide track and stop means by which a precise and reproducible location of the container on the pad will be obtained and secondly a means for locking the container on the pad to prevent any fortuitous displacement of the container.

Other objects, features, advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent the following description taken hereafter with reference to the attached drawing which shows by way of example one possible embodiment according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation view which diagrammatically illustrates an assembly of a container on its pad showing the locking devices and positioning stops;

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line 2 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section similar to FIG. 2 but showing two containers on a common pad;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on enlarge scale of the rear locking mechanism in unlocked position;

FIG. 5 shows the rear mechanism in locked position;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on enlarged scale of the front locking mechanism in unlocked position; and

FIG. 7 shows the front mechanism in locked position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. I of the drawing therein is shown a container C which contains a projectile such as a rocket or missile (not visible. The projectile is fixedly mounted in the container on guides (not shown) by which the projectile is accurately guided from the container at the time of launching. The container has two rigid frames F by which the container is positioned and secured on a launching pad or ramp R.

Each frame F has two support points with the pad, making a total of four support points for each container. The frames each carry a support foot at each support point, and the support feet at the right side of the container are designated by numeral 1 while the support feet at the left side of the container are designated by numeral 2. As seen in FIG. 2, the support feet have longitudinal side edges which are inclined towards one another in a downwards direction, while as seen in FIG. 1 the transverse front and rear edges of the feet are inclined away from one another in a downwards direction.

At the right side of the pad, slide rails 3 are fixed at the front and back, and the feet 1 are guided in the rails 3 with negligible play. At the left side of the pad, slide rails 5 and 6 are fixed and rails 5 and 6 have flat, upper surfaces by which the rails serve as slide bearings for the feet 2. The container thus is perfectly centered laterally on the pad by engagement of the feet 1, 2 with the rails 3, 5, 6 and the lateral position is maintained by the flanks 20 of slide rails 3 with the feet I.

The longitudinal position of the container is deter mined by engagement of the feet I and 2 at the rear of the container with stops 21 on slide rails 3 and 5.

Four locking mechanisms are provided, one at each foot for securing the container to the pad.

The locking mechanisms for the feet at the rear frame serve to lock the feet against forward movement while holding the feet against stops 21. This differs slightly from the locking mechanisms for the feet at the front frame which lock the feet against forward movement but provide no stops for rearward movement thereof.

As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rear locking mechanism essentially comprises a hook coupling 7 hinged around an axle 8. The axle 8 is mounted for longitudinal movement by attachment to a screw 9 on the end of which a detachable crank can be fitted. By turning the crank, the screw 9, which is threaded in rail 5, can advance or retract axle 8 thereby to move hook coupling 7 towards or away from the front face of the rear foot.

The two normal positions of the coupling thus are:

l. a locked position in which the coupling 7 is drawn rearwardly by the screw 9 and is strongly applied on the one hand under the slide rail and on the other hand against the inclined front face of the rear foot. In this position, the foot, resting on the slide rail, is forced against stop 21 and is locked at the front by the coupling 7 thus becoming locked longitudinally and vertically.

2. a retracted position in which the coupling 7 has been displaced forwardly by screw 9 and undergoes horizontal tilting at the end of its travel.

A pin 12 is fixed on the pad in the path of coupling 7 to insure downward tilting thereof if this should not be produced under the weight of the coupling. The purpose of tilting the coupling 7 to a downward cleared position is to prevent the coupling from serving as a projection that might damage the container at the time of its placement on the pad.

As in the rear mechanism, the front mechanism comprises a hook coupling 7 and a drive screw 10. However an elastic means inclusive of a spring 11 is interposed between the screw and the axle 8 of the coupling so as to allow the latter to follow any movements of the front frame resulting from differential expansion between the container and the pad. This may be considerable if the container is made of a light weight alloy such as aluminum alloy or the like, and the pad is made of steel.

The front feet resting on the guide rails are locked by the couplings and are thus locked against vertical movement and forward longitudinal movement while being free at the rear.

The container is placed on the pad by means of detachable guide arms 13 mounted on one or both sides of the pad according to accessibility. In the case of multiple container, a fixed separating partition 14 is mounted on the pad between adjacent containers both for guiding the containers at the time of installation and for fire protection between containers.

The container is lowered and placed on the pad, slightly forward of its final position to engage the feet 1 at the right side of the container in the guide rails 3. The container then slides rearwards by gravity until the feet contact the stops 21 carried on the rear guide rails. Then the four feet are locked in their guide rails in succession commencing with the rear feet.

Installation is facilitated by the trapezoidal shape of the feet and the guide rails 3.

Access to the locking cranks is readily available since the space fore and aft of the pad of necessity must be free.

There are no mechanical parts encroaching laterally in the space occupied by the container, and several containers can therefore be mounted side by side in a minimum of space.

Protection against corrosion and electrolytic effect is obtained by coating the feet with either a plastic dope or a galvanizing layer of zinc. To facilitate the coating operation, the feet are detachable from the frames. This arrangement allows their replacement, if necessary, at the time of overhauling the containers.

The present invention has been described only by way of reference to a preferred embodiment. Numerous variations can be made thereto without exceeding the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. In particular, the container frames can be different in number from the two which have been shown, and they may be integral with the container or not.

What is claimed is: I. Apparatus for installing a pro ectile container on a support pad, the container having four support feet, two at the front thereof and two at the rear, two of the feet being aligned at one side of the container and the other two feet at the other side of the container, said apparatus comprising means for guidably positioning the container laterally on the pad, said means including guide rails on said pad at opposite sides of the container for support of the feet, the guide rails at one side of the container having lateral flanks engaging the respective feet, means for longitudinally positioning the container on the pad, whereby the container can be positioned on the pad in a singular, reproducible position, and means for releasably locking the container to the pad in said singular position, the locking means comprising pivotal hook members supported by said pad at each foot for engaging the same, said means for longitudinally positioning the container on said pad comprising stop means on the guide rails at the rear of the pad, said stop means being located adjacent the rear surfaces of the feet at the rear of the container, and said hook members being located at the front surfaces of the feet.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support pad is inclined downwardly towards the rear thereof.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hook members have a lowered, inoperative position below the surface of the pad to avoid interference with the placement of the container on said pad.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim I wherein said feet and flanks have respective opposed surfaces which are inclined laterally.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for longitudinally displacing each of said hook members to press the hook members against the front surfaces of the feet and the rear surfaces of the rear feet against the stop means.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means for longitudinally displacing said hook members includes elastic means to permit relative longitudinal movement of said hook members and compensate for differential expansion between the container and pad.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the front and rear surfaces of said feet are inclined.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising a rigid frame on said container supporting a pair of feet.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means for longitudinally displacing each hook member comprises a rotatable screw threaded in said pad and carrying such hook member.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising a projection in the path of travel of each hook member to cause lowering of such hook member as the latter is moved away from its associated foot. 

1. Apparatus for installing a projectile container on a support pad, the container having four support feet, two at the front thereof and two at the rear, two of the feet being aligned at one side of the container and the other two feet at the other side of the container, said apparatus comprising means for guidably positioning the container laterally on the pad, said means including guide rails on said pad at opposite sides of the container for support of the feet, the guide rails at one side of the container having lateral flanks engaging the respective feet, means for longitudinally positioning the container on the pad, whereby the container can be positioned on the pad in a singular, reproducible position, and means for releasably locking the container to the pad in said singular position, the locking means comprising pivotal hook members supported by said pad at each foot for engaging the same, said means for longitudinally positioning the container on said pad comprising stop means on the guide rails at the rear of the pad, said stop means being located adjacent the rear surfaces of the feet at the rear of the container, and said hook members being located at the front surfaces of the feet.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in cLaim 1 wherein said support pad is inclined downwardly towards the rear thereof.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hook members have a lowered, inoperative position below the surface of the pad to avoid interference with the placement of the container on said pad.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said feet and flanks have respective opposed surfaces which are inclined laterally.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for longitudinally displacing each of said hook members to press the hook members against the front surfaces of the feet and the rear surfaces of the rear feet against the stop means.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means for longitudinally displacing said hook members includes elastic means to permit relative longitudinal movement of said hook members and compensate for differential expansion between the container and pad.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the front and rear surfaces of said feet are inclined.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising a rigid frame on said container supporting a pair of feet.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means for longitudinally displacing each hook member comprises a rotatable screw threaded in said pad and carrying such hook member.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising a projection in the path of travel of each hook member to cause lowering of such hook member as the latter is moved away from its associated foot. 